Moms’ Weekend of Food, Fun and a Swanky Hotel in Bellevue, WA

Moms’ Weekend Getaway

Have you found your village? You know, the people you can turn to for strength during a tough time. The people you text late at night because you remember something funny you forgot to tell them. The friends who know to pack extra snacks in case your kids want some, too. The ladies you want to hang with at a Moms’ weekend getaway.

I’m lucky enough to have several villages. One of my most important villages has been my PEPS group.

We met when our first-born babies were just a few months old and we had no idea what we were doing. Now, we’re parents of preschoolers and I honestly don’t know how I would have managed without this group of incredible women.

During the past two years, we’ve managed to coordinate three Moms’ weekend getaways. The first one was in Wenatchee, WA and the second was in Portland, OR.

While those were awesome trips, we realized that we spent a lot of time driving to those destinations. Precious hours that could have been spent drinking, eating or napping.

So, we decided that Bellevue, WA would be the ultimate spot for our third Moms’ weekend getaway.

Swanky Digs

The W Bellevue opened in July 2017 at the New Lincoln Square. It has an ultra-modern vibe and features Bellevue’s hippest speakeasy, Civility and Unrest.

This little nod to Bellevue is one of the many artistic features we loved about W Bellevue. Photo credit: Marcie Cheung

They also have a DJ who plays in the Living Room Bar, next to the lobby. And James Beard Award Winner Chef Jason Wilson has his farmhouse restaurant The Lakehouse at W Bellevue.

I love the design of the Living Room Bar at W Bellevue. Photo credit: Marcie Cheung

The design of this hotel is really beautiful. There are lots of pockets of places for people just to hang out and relax. Our favorite area was The Library. They have couches and tons of books/games. It was a great place to chat before figuring out where to eat. Plus they had awesome chairs!

What we loved

This Cozy room was quite spacious! Photo credit: Marcie Cheung

We were able to get adjoining Cozy rooms that each had 2 queen beds. We propped the adjoining doors open and it felt like we were in a luxury suite! Definitely the perfect set-up for a Moms’ weekend getaway.

The wallpaper in the bathroom was bold and super fun! There were super comfy window seats/couches, that were perfect for hanging out and chatting. There was plenty of room for our luggage and winter coats. The shower is HUGE! And there’s a Nespresso machine.

I couldn’t get over how awesome this mini-bar item was! Photo credit: Marcie Cheung

And the fact that we could walk to great restaurants and shopping is a major perk of the W Bellevue. It made it easy for us to run up leftover food and shopping bags to our room before continuing on to other activities. It also allowed us to rest and relax while contemplating our next move.

What we didn’t love

The W Bellevue is a bit tricky to find. The lobby is on the second floor, almost hidden around the corner from the elevator. Thankfully, there were tons of staff members eager to direct us.

Unfortunately, the hotel does not pop up on GPS (as of Nov 5, 2017.) That means we had to meet our Uber driver at Wild Ginger (next to the W Hotel) in order for him to find us.

We also tried to get pizza delivered, but had to cancel when they couldn’t figure out where we were located (even with the correct address.) I’m guessing this is a temporary problem, but it’s a problem none-the-less.

The shower is mere feet away from the bed, almost in the center of the room. Photo credit: Marcie Cheung

There were also a few “quirky” things about our hotel room. While we loved the large size of the rooms, it felt a bit like the shower was in the middle of the room. That was a bit awkward for a Mom’s weekend getaway set-up.

There were large wood doors to give privacy while someone was showering, however someone could open the room door and anyone walking in the hallway would be able to see someone showering. And there was a giant 3-panel mirror facing the shower.

Food

Cantinetta

We kicked off our weekend with an Italian pasta dinner and drinks at Cantinetta. Photo credit: Marcie Cheung

We kicked off our Moms’ weekend getaway by dining out at Cantinetta in Old Bellevue. Holy moly this ambiance here is lovely! There are little white lights on the street and inside has candles. We felt like we were in a movie!

Cantinetta specializes in hand-made pasta, so that’s what we ordered. The noodles were light and springy and we all ate more than we expected. The menu changes seasonally. They also have two locations in Seattle.

Wild Ginger

Most of us had dined at Wild Ginger in Seattle many times. They cater the food at The Triple Door and they are known for their Asian-fusion food. I usually order seafood and it’s pretty tasty.

We tried out Wild Ginger‘s new weekend dim sum brunch. We ordered one of everything. Most items came with two or three pieces, which we cut up to share. Definitely not my favorite dim sum place.

My family does dim sum every once-in-awhile from Chinese restaurants. This was definitely a different version of dim sum than I’m used to. The flavors and textures didn’t hit the mark for me.

But, the stand-out dish was the chow fun with house-made noodles. The flavors were on-point!

Cyprus Lounge & Wine Bar

We did a late evening appetizer dinner at Cyprus Lounge & Wine Bar at the Westin Bellevue. The quality of the food was much better than we expected for a hotel lounge. The garlic fries and aioli were super tasty and easy to share. We tried several items and they were all great!

Sugar Factory

Sugar Factory is part of The Shops at the Bravern located near The Bellevue Collection. It just opened a few months ago and we were eager to try it out for brunch as our last meal of Moms’ weekend getaway.

After experiencing it, we realized it’s mostly for people to go and Instagram or Snapchat their insanely decadent drink.

Girls’ Weekend Activities

The Bellevue Collection

It’s kind of a tradition on our Moms’ Weekend to go shopping when do weekend getaways.

One of the main reasons we chose to stay at the W Hotel was because it’s part of The Bellevue Collection. The Bellevue Collection consists of several blocks of shopping, dining, lodging and entertainment.

One of the highlights for half our group was getting fitted for bras at Nordstrom. And after finding our correct size and brands that fit, we were able to find additional bras at the new Nordstrom Rack on clearance!

Full disclosure: we may have visited Nordstrom Rack 3 times during our 2-night stay since it was right next to our hotel!

Starbucks at The Lodge

As Moms, we can’t get enough coffee. The Starbucks at The Lodge was recently renovated and they feature several drink options only available at a handful of stores.

This Starbucks barista was beyond amazing and guided us through the whole tasting process! Photo credit: Marcie Cheung

We opted to try their cold brew flights. Since there were 6 of us, we shared 2 flights. Each flight came with 4 drink samples.

Our barista was so friendly and she took the time to explain each cold brew option to us.

After trying all of them, the clear winner for us was the Bellevue Chai. It was frothy and creamy, like a dirty chai milkshake. It’s the kind of drink you won’t stop thinking about.

Truce Spa

I’ve been a fan of Truce Spa at the Westin Bellevue for years. It’s next door to the W Bellevue and it’s one of the most relaxing spas I’ve experienced. It was a nice way to start our morning.

I recommend calling them a week or two prior so they can confirm your appointment. They sometimes have limited staffing.

Cinemark Reserve

We were really excited to check out the new Cinemark Reserve at Bellevue Square. This is not to be confused with the Cinemark at Lincoln Square, also in Downtown Bellevue.

The Cinemark Reserve is a 21+ theater with reserved seating and dining options.

Cinemark Reserve at the new Lincoln Square was the ultimate way to experience this movie! Photo credit: Marcie Cheung

Since we were on a Moms’ weekend getaway, it was only fitting that we watch A Bad Mom’s Christmas! We were able to order our tickets and choose our seats easily online. Then, I just typed in my confirmation number and printed the tickets at the theater.

Inside, we loved the reclined chairs and foot rests. They also are heated! We were able to order drinks and snacks quickly during the previews. Since it’s a new theater, everything felt pretty clean and we’re excited to go back again.

84 Comments

Looks like you had the best time! I love the bow tie emergency thing so cute and different! It’s so weird that the hotel was had to find, I have a b&b and position is the most important part :/ I still have to watch bad mums, dind’t know there was a sequel 😀 xx

Sounds like a really amazing time! Love the look of the hotel rooms and actually like the fact that it is hard to find. I can’t think of anything on your trip that I wouldn’t love to do with my girlfriends.

can I come next time?!?!?! Despire the weird hotel/shower layout (I stayed in a Kimpton like that once) and the failed pizza delivery, this sounds awesome! Food, friends, shopping, movies w a 21+ crowd and a spa?!?!? Sign me up!

Girls weekends are my favorite and yours sounds awesome! The shower is definitely a little weird of a setup for a room for double occupancy and that’s too bad the hotel wasn’t on GPS, that’s a weird problem to have. Sounds like a great weekend though.

The hotel is super new in a newly constructed part of a very established area. I just think it’s bizarre that a pizza place in the same location wouldn’t be able to deliver a pizza to the next building over!

SOunds like a great weekend. I have to laugh at the shower. My son and I had a similar experience in a super resort in Mexico. Very elegant but not a lot of privacy. We managed by averting our gaze when necessary.

What an amazing way to recharge and be ready for the holiday season. Time with the girlfriends is like food for the soul. Having a weekend getaway seems like an absolute dream. So glad you had a great time!

The shower in the middle of the room reminds of a The Hudson Hotel in NYC. I stayed there once for work and had my friend come crash with me because she was dying to see the hotel. The bathroom was completely see-through, with the exception of a curtain. It was a bit strange. I prefer my bathroom time to be private time.

Omg sounds like you had a blast! I love Bellevue as well, my husband lived there for a while and I loved it there when I visited. While I didn’t stay in the hotels, that wallpaper in the restroom is so beautiful! Hope you enjoyed your time, I can’t wait to go back.

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